Hi there

Thanks for popping in. I woke up thinking about the Clarity Birthday Celebrations on Create & Craft next weekend, because there’s a lot of prep! And as I was counting down the days on my fingers to the Friday One Day Special, I realised it’s seven days to go! One week. One week out of a thirty year span.

Thirty years of Claritystamps, now more aptly rebranded Claritycrafts! Thirty years. That’s nearly half my life, that I’ve been thinking, dreaming, obsessing, designing, working, planning. No wonder I feel worn out with it sometimes! But there’s still life in the old nag yet! Not so long ago, a man told me I was too old for the TV presenting job, that a younger woman would be better suited to attract a younger audience. I didn’t react, didn’t even grace the opinion with a response. I remember thinking, “you have no idea who I am, what I do, where I come from. You also clearly have no idea who most of our customers are either!” During thirty years in the Crafting World, I have seen a lot, watched different crafts trend, evolve, disappear. Same with people. They come and they go. It is the way of the world – not just the Crafting World.

I’m not a great one for looking back; I much prefer staying in Today, and dreaming a little, looking ahead. I surprise myself how I can close a door and leave it firmly shut, especially if somebody has crossed my line. I think we all have an invisible line, don’t we? A point where the fuse blows, where your inner voice says “enough”. I’ve certainly had several major “enough” moments in my life, and I imagine many of you have too.

Thirty years ago, I had absolutely no clue where my core idea of completely transparent artstamps would lead. I certainly opened a can of worms in the world of stamps when I had that moment of clarity! I wasn’t even from the stamp world! But I did set out on a creative path which never failed me. It magically appeared as I walked…and it still does.

Do any of us really know where we are headed, or what’s around the corner? How can we know what is written into our stars? I don’t think we can. The best laid plans can be washed away in a single storm, metaphorically and physically speaking.

So, rather than look back and reminisce about which ideas worked and which didn’t, which people were true and which weren’t, which choices I made were good and which weren’t, I have to say none of it really matters today. What matters today is today.

And today, I am grateful for Clarity. Ask me again tomorrow! I think I am so lucky to be healthy, to have a loving partner, and have an enquiring mind. That’s it in a nutshell.

I wake up in a nice warm home, with clean sheets. My husband brings me a nice cup of ginger and lemon tea with honey. Every morning. We chat. Then I put my design hat on, he puts his manufacturing hat on, and we go about our days. This morning, Saturday, Dave has gone to work for the morning, to get ahead of next week, and I came to chat to you before I go and continue my prep for the TV shows next weekend – to get ahead of the week. Harmony. That’s what it is. If I get a chance I’ll do some pottery later too.

That’s it. We are the sum of 30 years of experience as an art company TODAY. So we are celebrating 30 years of Clarity by still being here, by still designing and making, by doing the next right thing, by doing service, by helping others always.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend!,

Love and hugs

Barb x x x

Today’s quote:

The best laid plans can be washed away in a single storm,
metaphorically and physically speaking.

Barb